Apparatus for handling loose materials



May 15, 1928.

T. E. PRAY G LOOSE MATERIALS APPARATUS FOR HANDLIN- Filed Aug. 12, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet iii-wa 1,669,948 T. E. PRAY v APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed Aug. 12, 1926. 4 SheetsSheet 2 May 15, 1928.

May 15, 1928. 1,669,948

- T. E. PRAY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed Aug. 12, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W i, o lforfly May 15, 1928.

T. E. PRAY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed Au f 12,- 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 72 2705 5'. Pray Patented May 15,1928

UNITED STAT as PATENT OFFICE.

THOIAB E. PRAY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGLOOSE MATERIALS.

Application filed August 12, 1926. Serial No. 128,736.

This invention relates to anew and useful apparatus for handling loose materials, and has among other objects to provide a new and improved apparatus of this description for moving loose material from one place to another by means of a scraper, and for guiding, controlling and actuating the scraper durin such operation. The device while capable of use in many situations and for many purposes wherein it is desired to transfer loose material from one point to another is practically adapted for use in coal mining operations. a y

More specifically, my invention relates to improvements in devices of the character disclosed in an application, Serial Number 352,413,filed January 19, 1920, by Charles E. Davis, wherein the loading ap aratus is provided with a new and improve arrangement of parts, affording greater rope capacity and operable in thinner seams of coal, and with the provision whereby material may be loaded from one side of the device as well as from the other by simply interchanging the functions of the control and tail lines. This feature of my invention improves upon other apparatus of this class in that materialcan "be gathered equally as well from one side of the device as from the draft ropes by various rearrangements of ropes about guide sheaves such as have heretofore been necessary when changing the device to gather material from opposite sides.

The invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a fra mentary plan view of the device shown in igure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2; i

Figuref5 is a view showing a mine room with one form ofmy device embodying my invention wherein the material is being the other without causing undue wear on gatihered from one side of the apparatus; an

Figure 6 is a View showing a mine room wherein the material is being gathered from the opposite side of the device.

Referring now to the details of the drawings shown in Figurefi, I have illustrated a scraper 1 adapted for reciprocable movement by means of a head line 2 and a tail line 3. In the typical loading arrangement shown, the tail line passes over a sheave & at the far 60 end of the working face along which the loose material is to be gathered, and the head line passes over a sheave 5. This latter sheave is connected with a control line 6, which passes about a fixed sheave 7. The 65 sheave 5 is movable but may be fixed in position when desired. It will be noted, with reference to Figure 6, thatthe positions of the control, head and tail lines have been reversed so as to ull the scraper in the opposite direction, rom that shown in Fi ure 5. This feature of my invention will e more fully described in another portion of this specification. I

In the construction illustrated, I provide 76 a portable controlling mechanism for these lines. This mechanism consists of a truck 8 havinga pair of longitudinall spaced axles 9, 9 with supporting whee s- 10, 10

thereon. The truck is provided with a series so of winding drums, including ahead line drum 16, on a vertical shaft 17 to the rear of the rearmost drivin wheel and adjacent the inner side of the left rear driving wheel, a drum 18 also on shaft 17 and disposed 86 below the drum 16, and a drum 19 on a vertical shaft 20 forward of the shaft 17 but rearward of the right rear driving wheel 10 and ad'acent the inner side of said driving wheel. he location of the shaft 20 for-. wardly'of the shaft 17, and the mounting of two drums on one shaft, one beneath the top of the rearmost supporting wheel 10 and the other above said wheel, and the placing of a third drum on the second shaft, permits the use of drums of a larger diameter than could be utilized if the two shafts were placed side by side in line with eachother or if the three drums were mounted side by side on separate vertical shafts. It also permits the machine to be built to a much lower height than would be possible if all three rope drums, of similar capacity as those herein, were mounted on a common horizontal shalt.

The peripheries of drums 1S and 19 project well beyond the lateral boundaries of the portable controlling mechanism and are all identical in construction. Each drum has a suitable brake Ill and each drum has substantially the same rope capacity. Thus it may be seen that the rope wound on the drum its may be used to perform the same functions as the rope wound on the drum 19.

All three drums are driven by a suitable motor which is herein illustrated as an electric motor Said motor is connected by a pinion 1213 to a gearQl to rotate a shaft 25. llotaiion of the shaft rotates a bevel pinion 26 meshing with a bevel gear 27 which in turn rotates a shalt 25 carrying a spur gear 23) and having connection with gears 30 and 2) Rotation of the gears 30 and 31 rotates the shalts 1i and 20 and transmits power to the rope drums when connected thereto by suitable means which make it possible to lcctivcly drive these rope drums. baid means as herein illustrated comprises suitable clutches which are shown as friction clutches of similar construction. Each of said clutchrrz comprises an expanding lric tion band 33 which when expanded against an inner periphery of the rope drum transmits power "from the drive shaft to the drums. but allows the drums to ride freely on the shaft when contracted.

As may be seen from the drawings one end ol? the friction band 33 is connected at ill with a member 35 which is keyed to the drum drive shaft and rotates therevvith. The other end of the band 33 is connected to one end of a bell crank lever which is pivoted to the member 355. The other end of the bell crank lever 36 is connected by a link 37 with a sliding collar 23S. Said collar has a groove 39 containing a fork to which slides the collar up or down on the drive shaft by means of suitable lever dcviccs. It will thus be observed that when the sleeve is moved down in the case of the drums l6 and it), and up in the case of the drum 18, the link pulls down on the end of the bell crank lever 3t) and rocks the bell crank lever to bring the ends of the friction band closer together and release the clutch. Movement in the other direction straightens out the linkBT and lifts up the end of the bell crank lever which separates the ends of the friction band and applies the clutch. It will here be seen that the shafts l"? and 20 are simultaneously driven from the common member 29. Since the drunk; l8 and 19 are interchangeable they should both wind in at the same time and should wind in as the drum l6 unwinds or should both unwind as the drum l6 winds. The drum shafts l7 and 20 rotate in the same direction s0 it is only necessary that the rope on the drum 18 be wound in an opposite direction to the rope on the drum it) to accomplish this result. The motor is prelerably of the reversible type and reversal thereof causes the shafts l7 and 2t) t'o'rotate in opposite directions, and reverses the direction of rotation of the rope drums.

Means are also provided for holding the drums LS and it) against rotation when desired. In the construction shown, I have provided a brake band on each of these drums for this purpose. A flanged portion ll integral with each drum is provided having thereon a brake band :l A projection on one end of this band is connected to a fixed point ll The other end is connected to a lug ll which is connected to a rod 46 having a head threaded to one end and an eyepiece to the other end. One arm of a bell. crank lever 59 is pivoted to the other end of said bell crank lever. Pressure on the lever (it) applies the brake, and vice versa.

The truck 8 is propelled by the motor 2:. through pinion 23, gear 24K, and a gear 4? which is free to rotate on a shaft 48. A suitable jaw clutch all) is provided to connect the gear 47 with the shaft -18 so as to selectively drive said shaft. \Vhcn the clutch jaws are engaged the shaft -18 will rotate the bevel pinion 50 which in turn will rotate the bevel gear 51, shaft and sprocket 53. A chain 54 connects the sprocket 5;) with a sprocket keyed to the forward truck axle. The forward axle drives the rearward axle through sprocket. 50, chain 57 and sprocket 58. Thus rotation of the sprocket 52, 1'0- tates the forward and rear truck axles which drives the wheels and propels the truck.

The truck is provided with an inclined chute or guide for the scraper, 6;). This guide is so arranged that when the scraper reaches the truck it; is pulled up along this guide carrying thematerial with it, and the end ol the guide is so placed that the material from the scraper is discharged into a receiving device. Referring to Figure it will be seen that the portion of said guide chute immediately above the winding drums extends in a horizontal plane. This substantially decreases the height ol my device, both while loading or travelling about the mine and provides a machine of less vertical dimensions than other machines ol this type. The ends of the guides 66 and (57 are so ar ranged that they may be moved out of the way when the truck is being transported. The truck is provided with an extension arm 70 having a direction changing device 71. about which the head line 2 passes. This head line passes l'rom the scraper about this lot) ine drum 16. Since the-shafts l7 and "rotate in opposite directions, it will be seen that the head line lengthens While the tail line shortens and vice versa, without regard to whether the drums 19 or 18 are used tail line drums. It will also be noted that the rope from the drum 19 pays directly off the drum beyond the lateral boundaries of the guide chute, while the rope from the drum 18 pays off the inner side of the drum and requires a guide sheave 73 to guide it beyond the boundary of the guide chute. The extension arm 7 O is arranged so that it may be moved out of the way when the truck is being transported.

The use and operation of my invention is as follows: I 7

When the device is to be used in a mine, the truck with the incline and control mecha nism is run to the mouth of the room as illustrated in Figure 5. A car (5 is run in proximity with the outer end of the incline and the direction changing devices f and 7 and guide 76 are placed in position. Thecoal has been mined from the Wall 77 and is lying on the floor near this wall. The pulling forward of the scraper 1 along the mine wall 77 causes it. to be loaded with loose coal. \Vhen the scraper is loaded it is desirable to turn it so that it can be moved toward the entrance of the room. This turning must be gradual and is done by allowing the direction changing device 5 to move away from the direction changing device 7. This is accomplished by releasing the brake on the control line drum 19, (Figure 5). The scraper is now pulled down by the head line 2 to the inchne or guide and is pulled up along said guide to the end thereof when the material is discharged into the car 75. The scraper 1 is open at the bottom and at one end so it may be easily discharged. After the scraper has been unloaded it is moved back to its initial position as shown in Figure 5. During the backward movement of the scraper the tail line 3 is wound in on its drum 18 while the head line drum 16 allows the head line 2 to unwind. The clutch to the control line drum 19 is applied to wind the control line on its drum until the direction changing device 5 is in proximity to the direction changing device 7 when the control line drum clutch is released and the control line drum brake is applied to hold the movable direction changing device 5 until the scraper has again been loaded and it is desired to turn the scraper from the face of the coal to the-room entry.

When itis desired to gather material from the right hand side of thedevice (Figure 6) instead of from the left hand side (Figure 5) it is only necessary to interchange the functions of the control and tail line drums.

To interchange these ropes ilit :is only sneces sary to disconnect the :tail line 3 from the scraper 1 and connect it with the direction changing device 5 while the control-line G is disconnected-from the sheave o and icon- 'nec'tedto the scraper l and the gu ide sheaves and deflector are placed .in their respective positions as illustrated.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the arrangement and construction of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular construction illustrated excepting as it may be specifically limited in the appended claims. I

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper with suitable draft means for moving the same, aportable power device for said scraper and draft means, axles on said power device having supporting wheels thereon, an inclined chute extending over said power device, and winding devices for said draft means mounted on vertical axes offset from each other beneath said chute and having their peri heries extending beyond the lateral boun aries of said chute.

2. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper with suitable draft means for moving the same, a portable power device for said scraper and draft means, axles on said power device having supporting wheels thereon, an inclined chute extending over said ower device, and winding devices for said draft means mounted on vertical axes rearwardly of the rearwardmost pair of supporting wheels and disposed beneath and having their peripheries extending beyond the lateral boundaries of said chute. I v

3. A device for handling loose material comprising a scraper with suitable draft means for. moving the same, a control line for said scraper, a portable power device for said scra er and draft means, axles on said power evice having supporting wheels therefor, an inclined chute extending over said power device, and a plurality of winding drums for said draft and control means, certain of said winding drums being mounted on a common vertical shaft and selectively driven thereby, and another of said drums being mounted on another vertical shaft and having selective driving connection therewith.

4. A device for handling loose material comprising av scraper with suitable draft means for moving the same, a control line for said scraper, a portable power device for said scraper and draft means, axles on said power device having supporting wheels liu therefor, an inclined chute extending over said power device, and a plurality of Winding drums for said draft and control means, certain of said Winding drums being 5 mounted on a common vertical shaft and selectively driven thereby and another of said drums being mounted on another vertical shaft forward of said first mentioned shaft and having selective driving connection therewith.

Si ed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and g fiate of Illinois, this 10th day of August, A. D. 1926.

THOMAS E. PRAY. 

